HumanCockroach wrote:Eh, that injury validates Seattle's refusal to extend a HOF player, but on the flip side, it also validates Thomas stance... Thomas wanted an extension, because of circumstances exactly like this, Seattle didn't want to give one, because of circumstances like this. It doesn't validate one, while invalidating the other, simply means that Seattle's roll of the dice worked out.... this time....
Personally I'm not real interested in watching HOF players drafted and developed in Seattle win multiple SBS in another team's jersey. When you've got them, typically you try at least to keep them, unless you've got comparable talent there already. Seattle doesn't at the safety position ( or QB or MLB )... so not a particularly wise gamble... there's not much "win" in the entire situation. Your team is worse than it was at kickoff, you've created a rift with a HOF player, that still has influence within the current team, and you've received zero in return for gambling with his health.
The situation should have been handled months ago ( whether via trade, extension or something else) it wasn't, and the team, player, fans suffer for it.
I guess it depends on what our true intentions were. If we were about to sign Earl to an extension and make him the highest paid safety in the league, then yes, we lucked out if Earl's ultimate fate was injury. But if we were just a few days away from trading him, then we got screwed, and will end up with nothing where we might have landed a couple of 2nd round draft choices.
Whether or not we keep home grown NFL talent on our team until the cows come home depends on a lot of things. If we are a SB contender, then sure, we do whatever it takes to keep them in the fold. But if we're rebuilding, it would depend on several things: Is he a good teacher for the younger players? Peyton Manning was said to not have any interest in mentoring his replacement, which may be one of the reasons the Colts let him walk.
These last few months, Earl was giving me the impression that despite his telling people that this was a "business", that he was being very selfish and didn't have a lot of interest in helping to develop our young secondary, so I can't say as I blame PC/JS for wanting to trade him.